the signal for a
fight, which was immediately begun by Admiral Shovel. The battle raged
with great fury on both sides till about two in the afternoon, when the
enemy's van gave way. The Dutch engaged the enemy with the greatest
courage and alacrity, and being provided with ammunition, continued
firing something later than the rest, but night coming on put a stop to
the engagement. Several of the French ships were compelled to quit the
fight, long before it was over, to repair damages, some of them to stop
leaks which would otherwise have caused them to founder. The French
main body being very strong, and several ships of the admiral's and
Rear-Admirals Byng and Dilke's divisions being also forced to go out of
the line for want of shot, the battle fell very heavily on the admiral's
own ship the "Saint George," as also on the "Shrewsbury." This being
observed by Sir Cloudesley Shovel, he, like a good and valiant officer,
immediately backed astern and endeavoured to reinforce the admiral.
This act of valour and of good seamanship had two useful effects. First
it drew several of the enemy's ships from the British centre, which was
so hard pressed by a great superiority of strength and numbers, and
secondly it drove them at length out of the line, for after they had
felt the effects of the guns of others of the ships of Sir Cloudesley
Shovel's division, which were astern of him, they considered it more
prudent not to advance along his broadside. Being clean and better
sailers, they set their split-sails, and with their boats ahead, towed
away from him, without giving him the opportunity of exchanging a single
broadside with them.

There can be no doubt that the British would have gained a complete
victory had they not have been in want of shot. This had been expended
by the vast number of guns fired at Gibraltar, though every ship had
been furnished with twenty-five rounds the day before the battle, which
would have been sufficient had they got as near the enemy as the admiral
intended. As it was, every ship had expended her ammunition before
night.

In the centre of the line a furious action was going on. The "Serieux,"
a ship in the French admiral's division commanded by Monsieur
Champmelin, however, boarded the "Monk," an English ship commanded by
Captain Mills. He, with great activity and courage, every time cleared
the deck of the enemy, and made them at last bear away. The same French
commander had his s